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RMNP Guide
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Written by DeeCeeM
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Thursday, 05 August 2010 07:31 |
On Wednesday, August 4, park rangers received a cell phone call around 11:00 am that a 31-year-old man was injured on Longs Peak. He had been found by other hikers in “The Narrows” area close to the junction with “The Homestretch” at roughly 13,800 feet. The initial reports indicated that he had hiked to Longs Peak the day before and had spent an unplanned night in the backcountry. He was conscious and able to walk slowly with assistance but was unable to recall what had caused his injuries. At 12:30 p.m., the Minnesota man was reported overdue by friends. They indicated he had hiked to Longs Peak yesterday and had not returned.
Continued phone calls to park dispatch by visitors along the route, indicated that visitors were assisting the man down the route. They were also providing dry clothing, food and water. A park trail crew in the area reached the man at 1:10 p.m. on “The Ledges.” Due to an assessment of injuries at that time, it was determined that the man had been struck by lightning sometime late the previous day. He had numerous burn injuries.
The trail crew was able to provide immediate care and continued to walk the man to the Agnes Vaille shelter, a primitive historic shelter, located at “The Keyhole.” They waited out an intense storm with lightning, hail, heavy rains and low temperatures. Once the severe storm passed, they began walking slowly down the route and connected with park rangers at 4:10 p.m. at “The Boulderfield.” Rangers provided more emergency medical care to the man.
The first litter team of park staff reached the patient at 5:25 p.m. Due to the severe weather in the area during the beginning of the rescue, helicopters were unable to fly. Weather conditions improved and at approximately 6:30 p.m. Flight for Life flew the patient to St. Anthony Central. Approximately 35 people are involved with this rescue in the field, including a paramedic from Estes Park Medical Center. Park rescue personnel hiked back to the trailhead and were out of the backcountry by 11:00 p.m. |
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Last Updated on Friday, 06 August 2010 15:03 |
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Written by DeeCeeM
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Thursday, 29 July 2010 10:03 |
During this summer, a major resurfacing project is taking place on a 19 mile section of Trail Ridge Road from the Colorado River Trailhead to Rainbow Curve. This project also involves resurfacing of all major overlook parking areas and pull offs. The $17.2 million project is funded by the Federal Lands Highway Program.
Temporary night closures on a section of Trail Ridge Road will take place from August 2, through August 5, to install culverts. Closure points will be on the west side of the park at the Colorado River Trailhead and at Alpine Visitor Center. Fall River Road will remain open. Closure times will be from 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. The closures are necessary to install culverts in several locations where partial closures would be infeasible due to steep terrain and culvert length.
Night work will also take place from August 9, through August 19, along the section of road from Lake Irene to the Alpine Visitor Center. One hour delays can be expected from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Park visitors can continue to expect 20 to 30 minute delays through the construction area during the day on Trail Ridge Road. There may be multiple areas of construction occurring concurrently, and in that case the combined delay time will not exceed 60 minutes. Work will not take place on weekends or holidays. Cyclists and motorcyclists should expect extremely rough road conditions throughout the summer.
For further information about Rocky Mountain National Park please contact the park information office at (970) 586-1206 or check the park’s website at www.nps.gov/romo
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Written by Aaron
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Sunday, 25 July 2010 19:06 |
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At 8:15 a.m. today, Sunday, July 25, park rangers were notified of an overdue backcountry skiier. The 40 year old Colorado man was planning to ski in the backcountry near Finch Lake on Saturday and had not been heard from. At 9:20 a.m. park rangers went to the Finch Lake Trailhead and found the man's car. The man was reported to be an experienced backcountry skiier who was planning on hiking in to and skiing a snowfield near Finch Lake. At 4:00 p.m. park rangers found the man's body on a snowfield above Cony Lake in the Hutcheson Lakes drainage near the southern boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park. At this time, the cause of death is unknown.
The man's body is roughly 10 miles from the nearest trailhead. Because of weather conditions and logistics the body recovery will take place tomorrow. Rangers will remain close to the scene of the accident tonight. His body will be transferred tomorrow to the Boulder County Coroner's office. The victim's name will not be released until next of kin are notified.
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Written by DeeCeeM
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Friday, 23 July 2010 17:47 |
At 10:45 a.m. this morning, July 23, a park trail crew working near Lost Lake in the northeast section of Rocky Mountain National Park were notified about an ill 15-year-old male who was hiking with a group past Lake Dunraven at roughly 11,600 feet. Lake Dunraven is approximately 11 miles from the North Fork Trailhead and the young man was another ¼ mile south at an unnamed lake. The reporting party called park dispatch from the trail crews’ satellite phone. The 15-year-old was complaining of chest pain and was nauseous. The young man had pre-existing health conditions, including asthma.
The trail crew hiked to the location with the reporting party and was on scene at 1:35 p.m. Due to the young man’s condition, conducive weather conditions and an appropriate helicopter landing zone nearby, rangers requested assistance from Flight for Life from St. Anthony Hospital. At 3:11 p.m. Flight for Life reached the helicopter landing zone in Upper Beaver Meadows. At 3:30 p.m. it flew to the location of the patient and landed at 3:57 p.m. At 4:00 p.m. the helicopter was in the air flying back to Upper Beaver Meadows to pick up their second flight nurse. At 4:14 p.m. they were en route to Medical Center of the Rockies.
Due to the patient’s age his name and hometown will not be released. |
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Written by DeeCeeM
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Wednesday, 21 July 2010 16:22 |
At 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, July 20, park rangers were notified that a 27-year-old climber was off route on her descent on a section of The Diamond on Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. Carolyn Davidson, from Fort Collins, Colorado, and her climbing partner, had been climbing the Casual Route and had left the base of the climb at 4:30 a.m. She had climbed this specific route twice last year.
While descending, Davidson found herself off the fixed rappel route and was unable to ascend or climb to the correct rappel station. She and her climbing partner tried for roughly two hours to resolve the situation. Davidson was able to set up an anchor and attach herself to the wall. She was well prepared with clothing to help her weather the elements; a heavy rainstorm moved through the area at 5:30 p.m. Her climbing partner rappelled to the base of Mills Glacier to find help. He contacted a park trail crew that was in the area.
At 7:15 p.m. four park rangers, who specialize in climbing and mountain rescue, were flown to the 14,259 foot summit of Longs Peak by the interagency United States Forest Service/National Park Service helicopter from Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park. The helicopter was still in the area after assisting Rocky Mountain National Park during the Cow Creek Fire and responding to initial attack on another fire in Colorado.
The rangers descended from the summit to Table Ledge on the upper part of The Diamond where they established an anchor system to lower one ranger to Davidson. The ranger reached her at 12:15 a.m. The ranger gave her dry clothes, food and water. The ranger was able to assist the stranded climber up the fixed ropes to the Table Ledge and then climb back up to the Summit of Longs Peak via the upper Kiener’s Route, a vertical gain in altitude of approximately 700 feet and a distance over terrain of approximately 1,200 feet. They reached the summit at 3:00 a.m.
According to Rocky Mountain National Park Chief Ranger Mark Magnuson, “Given the location of Davidson in highly technical terrain at 14,000 feet, with no equipment to self-rescue and the extended weather forecast that predicted low temperatures and heavy rains, we made the decision to perform careful, well planned night operations by a highly skilled team. An unexpected bivouac half way up the Diamond in poor weather is not a good predicament.”
Rain continued off and on through the evening and temperatures were 39 degrees. Davidson was rescued without incident, warmed and fed at the summit and then flown out at 8:00 a.m. this morning. Due to inclement weather, the last ranger and helicopter crew member flew off the summit at 10:00 a.m. There were roughly 25 people involved in this rescue operation including 5 members from Rocky Mountain Rescue who were on standby to assist park rangers if a carry-out was necessary.
There have been numerous incidents in Rocky Mountain National Park in the last month where rangers and injured visitors have benefitted from having an available helicopter and trained helitack crew in the area. After this operation the interagency United States Forest Service/National Park Service helicopter from Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park left Rocky Mountain National Park for other commitments. It is crucial for visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park to realize if they are injured in the backcountry, depending on available resources, it could take hours for assistance to arrive. It continues to be vital that backcountry visitors are prepared to help themselves and others in the event of an emergency. Another reminder to backcountry users; seasonal weather patterns appear to be changing bringing monsoonal conditions, which contribute to elevated hazards and challenging conditions in the mountains. |
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 21 July 2010 16:25 |
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